Apparatus for applying road rollers to convertible vehicles



March 25, 1941- W. B. WHITFIELD 2,235,953

APPARATUS `FOR `APPLYING ROAD ROLLERS TO CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES FiledSepb. 22, 1939 2 SheeiS-She'e; l

|k L i 7 `IIIIIIIWl mili w. B. wHiTFIEzLDv March 25, 1941.

` APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ROAD ROLLERS TO CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES FiledSept. 22, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ROAD ROLLERS T0 CONVERTIBLEVEHICLES,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to wheeled vehicles. It is particularly directedto a` novel means for providing a convertible wheeled vehicle that isreadily adaptable for use either as a normal vehicle oras a surfacerolling machine.

In prior vehicles heavy annular rollers have been applied over pneumatictires, but it has been troublesome or impossible to keep these rollersin place for any length of time when in actual use. Furthermore, noeffective means has ever been suggested for quickly applying or removingthese rollers.

Therefore a primary object of this invention is to provide a vehicle,such as a motor truck,

that is quickly available for use either as a vehicle or as areliable-surface rolling machine. A further object is to provide a novelmeans for securely and rapidly applying an annular roller to theperifery of a motor truck tire. object is to provide a novel means forrapidly removing such a roller from such a tire.

Equally important objects will more plainly appear from the detailedspecification and drawings presented herewith in exemplication but notin limitation of the present invention.

Like reference characters designate like parts in the drawings whichrepresent diagrammatically in- Fig. l a fragmentary perspective View ofthe rear portion of a motor truck showing a road roller partiallyapplied to the rear wheel;

Fig. 2 a perspective view of my novel appliance in assembled positionbefore being attached to the roller and to the wheel;

Fig. 3 a rear elevation of a motor truck with rollers applied to bothrear twin tired wheels, including a cutaway view of one of the rollersin its applied position;

Fig. #i a fragmentary verticalcross-sectional view of the appliance in apreferred operative position, attached to the wheel hub and to theroller, for applying or removing the roller; and

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of the appliance when disassembled andpacked within itself for shipping, or storage.

In Fig. l, is shown a motor truck II), having rear twin wheels II, withthe usual hubs I2. A relatively heavy metal annular roller I3, is shownpartially applied in contact with the tread of the outside tire I4. Theroller I3 is preferably provided on its outer periphery with inwardlyprojecting lugs I6 to which the bridge member I8 of the appliance I5, isattached by means such as bolts I'I. The inside of the in- Another nerperiphery of the roller I3 is preferably beveled to aid its engagementwith the tire I4.

The appliance I5 may preferably be made of wrought iron or steel or thelike and as shown in its assembled position in Fig. 2 comprises a bridgemember I8 and a threaded shaft I9 coacting with a threaded cylindricalopening such as a tapped hole 20 in the center of the bridge I8. 'I'heaperture 20 may be reinforced by a threaded nut 21 fixed or welded tothe bridge I8 as shown in Fig. 4. 'The ends of the bridge I8 areprovided with treaded bolts I'I adapted to engage the lugs I6 of theroller I3. The outer end of the shaft I9 may be provided with a lever 2|swingably attached thereto. To the lower end of the shaft I9 is applieda hub-engaging base member 22 with bolts 23 adapted to engage the hubI2. The bolts 23 are adjustably positioned in the base member 22 bymeans of the slots 28. The base member 22 is loosely placed on the endof the shaft I9 by means of the aperture 29 and the nut 24 securedthereonby attaching means such as a cotter pin 25. A roller thrustbearing 26 is preferably interposed between the nut 24 and thehub-engaging member 22 to permit free rotation of the nut 24 when it isin operative position in contact with the bearing 26 which in turn is incontact with the under side of the hub member 22.

Under certain surface conditions it is possible with my improvedmethodand means to apply the roller I3 without first elevatingthe truckIIJ. However, it is usually preferred to first jack up the rear wheel II so that the tires I4 are just clear of the road surface. The tires I4are then preferably partially deflated so that they may be flexed intoapproximately the same position they would assume when fully loaded. ForeX- ample, the usual ypressure of a heavy duty truck tire is 90 pounds,and such tires should be deiiated to approximately 40 pounds pressure.The inner periphery of the roller I3 is next engaged with the outerperiphery of the outer twin tire I4 as shown in Fig. 1.` The cap screwsor bolts usually found in the hub I2` of the usual motor truck may bethen removed; The base member 22 may be next attached to the hub I2 bymeans of the bolts 23.' In some cases where old model motor trucks areto be used it may be necessary to attach the bolts 23 to the hub I2 orto the Wheels II by any of the well known forms of couplings oradapters. The appliance I5 is then fixed to the roller I3 by attachingthe bridge :In'ember I8 to the lugs I6 by means of the bolts Theappliance I5 is now in its attached position and may preferably beoperated as follows;

With lever 2l the operator may now rotate the shaft I9 which by means ofits threaded engagement with the bridge member I8 at the nut 21 willinwardly force the roller I3 into gripping engagement with the outeredge of the tire I4. The operator may next hold or secure the lever 2iin a stationary position and have the power of the truck motor inforward gear applied to the wheel II so that it will at rst slowlyrotate. Inasmuch as the roller I3 has been pressed into grippingengagement with the tire I4, it will rotate therewith, and inasmuch asthe lever 2| is held in a xed position, the shaft I9 will be preventedfrom rotating and the bridge member I8 which is now rotating with theroller I3 will thus be forced to travel down the shaft I9 the desireddistance and thereby quickly press the roller I3 into completeengagement with the tires I4 as shown in Fig. 3. lf it is preferred notto l use the motor, the operator may continue to rotate the shaft I9 bymeans of the lever 2| and this will cause the bridge I3 to travel downthe shaft I9 by means of its threaded engagement therewith shown at 2'Iin Fig. 4. The operator may continue this operation until the roller I3has completely engaged the tires I4 as shown in Fig. 3. Next the tiresmay be reiniiated to their normal pressure and the supporting jack andthe appliance removed and the truck will then be ready for use as a roadroller.

The removal of the roller I3 by means of the appliance I5 is preferablyas follows:

The wheel II may be jacked up so that the tire I4 is clear of the roadby approximately one inch. The base 22 of the appliance I5 may be nextattached to the hub I2 by means of the bolts 23. The bridge I8 may nextbe attached to the lugs I9 of the roller I3 by means of the bolts Il.The operator may next hold or secure the lever 2I, and with the truckmotor in reverse gear apply its power to wheel II. The consequentrotation of the wheel II and the roller I3 will cause the roller I3 withthe bridge I8 to travel outwardly along the shaft I9 until the roller I3is disengaged from the tire I4. The motor may then be stopped and theappliance I5 detached from the hub I2. If it is desired not to use themotor of the truck, the roller I3 may be readily applied or removed bymanually rotating the shaft I9 by means of the lever 2I.

When not in use the appliance I5 may be packed as shown in Figure 5. Thecotter pin 25 may be withdrawn, the nut 24 then unscrewed, and thebearing 26, and the base 22 removed and the bridge I8 unscrewed from theshaft I9. These parts may then be arranged within the bridge I8 as shownin Figure 5, and packed for storage in the truck or elsewhere untilagain needed.

It is preferred to provide the roller I3 in two sizes for all standardheavy duty truck tires, one size for new treads and an additional sizefor worn-down treads. In cases where extremely worn-out treads areencountered, a shorter shaft may be substituted for the shaft I9 afterthe roller I3 has been applied. The appliance I5 may then be re-attachedand left in position While the roller is in use. It is apparent thatthis use of the appliance I5 need only occur in emergency cases wherevery bad tires are inescapable.

Depending on the condition of the tire treads, it is preferred to makethe inside diameter of the roller I3 at least one-half to one inch lessthan the outside diameter of the new or worn tread or the tire I4, whenit is partially deflated or when it is under a full load, as previouslyexplained. Thisfwill insure a positive grip before, as well as after thetire is reiniiated. In the prior art this positive grip could not beattained even after reiniiation for two reasons; first, if the diameterof prior rollers had been made small enough it would have beenconsequently impossible to force the roller over the tire by any priormeans, and second, when the diameter of the roller was actually madelarge enough to enable it to be forced over the tire by prior means, itcould not remain in place when in actual use without the aid ofadditional attaching means. The prior art was unaware of, or completelyignored the fact that modern heavy duty truck tires decreaseinappreciably in rigidity and diameter when deflated. Therefore noroller in actual usage can possibly remain in place on such a tireunless the roller, as rst taught herein, has a suiiciently reduceddiameter and is applied to the tire by suflicient pressure.

The present invention is the rst to provide a u rapid and eiiicientmeans for supplying such a reduced diameter roller with this sufcientpressure, and is thereby the first to permit the rapid conversion andreconversion of motor truck to surface roller as herein described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for forcing a non-resilient annulus into or out ofcompressive encircling engagement with a resilient tread of a vehiclesupporting wheel when said wheel is in operative connection with saidvehicle, said apparatus comprising in combination, bridge means adaptedto be secured across the outer rim of said annulus, threaded means inrotatable threaded engagement with said bridge means, and securing meansadapted to hold said threaded means in freely rotatable engagement withsaid wheel, whereby said annulus may be selectively withdrawn from orforced over said tread by counter-rotation between said wheel and saidthreaded means and i by the resulting travel of said bridge means alongsaid threaded means.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said threaded means includeslever means secured to the outer end thereof whereby said threaded meansmay be manually rotated, or held against rotation.

3. The combination of claim l, wherein the outer rim of said annulus isprovided with opposed inwardly projecting fianges to which said bridgemeans is detachably secured.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said securing means comprises achannel member provided with opposed elongated slots and coactingengaging means extending through said slots whereby said securing meansmay be detachably and adjustably secured to said wheel.

WILLIAM BRUCE WHITFIELD.

